Propeller mechanism.



C. M. LEE.

PROPELLER MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.15, 1913.

' To all whom it may concern:

CHARLES M. LEE, OF FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA.

PROPELLER MEcHAivIsM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed October 15, 1913. Serial No. 795,249.

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. LEE, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Falls City, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Propeller Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of propeller mechanism particularly adapted for use on aerial vehicles; to provide improved means adapted to increase the density of the air column which is depended upon for propulsion; to provide mechanism of this kind having one propeller operatable for deflecting the air currents inward against another propeller adapted to deflect said air currents rearwardly in an axial direction; to provide an. improved construction-and arrangement of said propellers; and to provide an improved air deflecting means for preventing the air from striking the non-effective surfaces of said propeller.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the propeller mechanism. Fig. 2 is an end View taken from the right of Fig. 1.

In the construction shown in the drawings the mechanism comprises an outer propeller 3 and an inner propeller 4: concentrically arranged and rotatably connected to the respective supporting shafts 5 and 6.

The outer propeller 8 is herein shown to be made up of front and rear sets of rings 7 supported on the radially disposed arms 8 and having vanes 9 arranged between said front and rear sets of rings. are substantially axially disposed, and inclined forwardly in a radial direction. These vanes are slightly curved and are arranged so as to overlap each other. The forward set of radially disposed arms 8 is supported on a collar 10 which is rotatably mounted on the forward end of the shaft 5. The rear set of arms 8 is secured to a ring 11 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 5 forwardly of the annular shoulder 12.

The inner propeller 4 includes a plurality of frusto-conical shells 13 mounted in axial alinement with their larger diameters to the front. The shells are rigidly connected together and to the shaft 5 by means of the radial arms 14:. A plurality of vanes 15 The vanes 9 "are .spirally arranged on the exterior peripheries of the shells 18 with the adjacent ends overlapping as shown in Fig. 2. The vanes are shaped so thatthe inner edges thereof conform to the shape of the shell and the outer edges conforming to a cylindrical surface about the axis of rotation. The width of the vanes 15 therefore gradually increases toward the lower or rear edge so that effectiveness of the vanes increases as the air travels along the under side thereof.

The inner and outer propellers being mounted on separate shafts are adapted to be independently rotated. As herein shown, the propellers are driven in respectively opposite directions as indicated by the arrows l6 and 17 of Fig. 2, by suitable mechanism (not shown) operating through the medium of the gears 18, 19 and 20. The gears 19. and 20 are herein shown as being rigidly connected to the respective shafts 5 and 6. The operation of the device shown is as follows: Assuming that the rotation of the propellers is in thedirections indicated by the arrows16 and, 17, the vanes 9 of the outer propeller 3 will cause the air to be drawn inward in the direction of the ar rows 21 (Fig. 1) and deflected against the inner propeller 4. These air currents will be deflected by the under surface of vanes 15 and the exterior surface of the shells 13 axially rearward as indicated by the arrows 22 (Fig. 1). The inner propeller l of course draws some air in at the front of i the foremost shell as the propeller advances through the air, which is deflected rear peller acts, thereby increasing its effectiveness.

Although'but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that nu-v merous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim': l v

1. In a propeller mechanism, the combination of an outer propeller adapted and arranged to force air inward, and an inner propeller adapted and arranged to force the adapted tobe rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, an inner propeller having vanes spirally arranged thereon and adapted to be rotated so as to deflect the air currents rearwardly, said inner and outer propellers being independently rotatable.

l. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, a frusto-conical shell rotatably mounted within said outer propeller, and vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surface of said shell said shell being adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes.

5. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, a frusto-conical shell rotatably mounted within said outer propeller, and vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surface of said shell, said shell being adapted to be rotated in a direction opposite to that of the outer propeller, so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes.

6. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, a plurality of frusto-conical shells rotatably mounted in axial alinement and rigidly connected together, and vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surfaces of said shells, said inner propeller being adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes.

7. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, a plurality of frusto-conical shells rotatably mounted in axial alinement and rigidly connected together, and vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surfaces of said shells, said inner propeller being adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes, the outer peripheral edges of said vanes conforming to a cylindrical sui. about the axis of rotation.

S. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the currents to be deflected inward by s: u vanes, a frusto-conical shell rotatably m cunted within said outer propeller, vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surface of said shell, said shell being adapted to be i so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes, and cone located forward of said shell and adapted to deflect the air currents from the interior thereof.

Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inward by said vanes, a plurality of frusto-conical shells rotatably mounted in axial alinement and rigidly connected together, vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surfaces of said shells, said inner propeller being adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected rearwardly by said spiral vanes. and a cone mounted in advance of said shells, the base of said cones being of sub stantially the same diameter as said shells, and being adapted to deflect air currents from the interior thereof.

10. Propeller mechanism comprising an outer propeller having axially disposed vanes inclined to the radial direction and adapted to be rotated so as to cause the air currents to be deflected inwarl by said vanes, a frusto-conical shell rotatably mouiiited within said outer propeller, and vanes spirally arranged on the exterior surface of said shell, and mechanism connected to revolve said outer propeller and said shell in respectively opposite directions.

Signed atChicago this tenth day of her, 1913.

Qcto- CHARLES M LEE.

Witnesses A. F. SCI-IAIBLE, E. E. SCOTT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

